Changing Caste System In India
The article discusses about the Indian caste system where the "Varna" or caste had great impact on the society. The behavior of the upper caste towards the "untouchables" was mean in villages restricting them from entering the premises of the upper caste, visit temples, eat the same food or play with them. They were considered as dirt of the society. But the society underwent a massive change just after independence. The intelligent and bright children in the minority community got benefits from "untouchable quota" which our government has implemented to reduce inequality It was first started by Dr. B. R Ambedkar, the minister of law of independent government and the person who drafted the constitution of India who belonged to the category of "Dalits". He fought and made reservations for "untouchables" (Schedule caste).They soon began to hold the highest ranking positions in government offices and other reputed institutes. The attitude of the upper caste also changed towards the "untouchables" as they became educated and started holding respectable positions. The situation in the urban areas was not like villages. The behavior was not so mean towards the "untouchables" but still they were discrimination like not having water from their hands or touching them or their utensils. After independence, government reserved seats for the minority group in educational institutions and in government jobs to encourage them. Using these benefits from the government the scenario has changed and many "untouchables or Dalits" are enjoying great benefits in terms of income, status and education. But the situation of the upper caste worsened due to "reservations" or "quotas" and they faced a lot of challenges in getting into a good institution and employment (Scheduled castes, Unscheduled Change,80 - 122).
Let us study who are these "untouchables" or "Dalits" and why did the society behave in a mean manner with them even in an urban area? Caste system originated during the reign of the Aryans who arrived in India around 1500 BC. At that time the society was divided into four main categories - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. They were divided mainly in terms of their occupation and skin color. Other than Shudras there were the "untouchables" or "Dalits". They did all the unclean jobs like cleaning of toilets, drainage system, and other dirty works and they were outcasted as it was believed that they will spread diseases(Schedules caste, Unscheduled Change,104).
After Independence, the largest democratic country ,India introduced certain laws to remove caste system from the country The laws named the "Dalits or the "untouchables" as "Schedule Caste", the tribal people or "adivasis" as "Schedule Tribes" in the constitution of India. In 1984, another category of backward community was introduced which is known as OBC (other backward classes).The reservations were made to improve their situation they were faced for a long time and to provide them with the equal opportunities. But the survey conducted by National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) in 2004-05 shows that the population of OBC's are 40.94% of the population of the country, SC population is 19.59% and ST population is 8.63% . So adding it comes to 69.16%. The rest of the population is 30.84%. The rest of the population had no reservation or quota to get entry to a reputed educational institution or a government job. The struggle is increasing for the rest population which are categorized as "General" candidates.
The government policy of 22.5 % of seats reserved in government jobs and educational institutions for Schedule caste and Schedule tribes was still okay but the recent additional reservation of 27% for the OBCs (Other backward classes) which together adds up to 50% is a matter of concern. In the year 2008 this law was passed by the Supreme Court of India, making it more difficult for "unreserved" or "General" candidates to get into top educational institution and landing a good government job.
This policy of the Indian government was adopted by the action taken by the U.S government against the racial discrimination. But in India this is creating a huge inequality among the different castes. The upper caste are facing problems to find a basic job and enjoy a livelihood but the minority community are having better education and better jobs. Getting lower marks in competitive examinations than the "General candidates" the SC, ST and OBC candidates are getting entry to a better institution. This is not fair for the "General" candidates who are really scoring better marks in exam but still struggling to get higher rank in good educational institutions or jobs. There are lots of protests happening these days due to the frustration among the people who are facing these problems in day to day life. Another aspect, is that due to reservations, the country is delivering some undeserved candidates from the reputed institutions who are not capable of competing in the global market. The topmost educational institutions need excellent marks for the students to enter their colleges. But the reserved candidates are getting entry without having the requisite marks and ultimately failing to compete in the global job market. The teachers of various school and educational institutions are getting filled up with minority group who are not sufficiently knowledgeable to teach efficiently due to less marks scored. A student who is intelligent and scores high marks is bound to get chance in topmost institutions in the country whether belonging to upper caste or lower caste. ("Why India is still fighting over caste system").
If there is discrimination or reservation in educational institutions and in jobs, it is bound to have negative impact on the society. So, equality is important in a society and every citizens of the country in entitled to enjoy the benefits a country is providing to other communities. The government must evaluate the per capita income and the number of people below the poverty line to determine whether the reservation is benefitting to all the sections of the society or just to a small section ("Do we still need a reservation or quota system in India").
Works Cited
"Schedules caste, Unscheduled Change". India. Chapter4(80-112).Print.
www.scheduledcasteschange.pdf
.Agarwal, Ravi. “Why India is still fighting over caste system” (2015). August 28.Web.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/28/asia/india-gujarat-caste-protests/
"Do we still need a reservation or quota system in India" (2013) March 13. Web. .http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/education/do-we-still-need-a-reservation-or-quota-system-in-india
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